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Karnataka Polls 2018: Can Sonia Gandhi’s campaigning serve as a game changer for the Congress?

May 9, 2018

Sonia Gandhi, the UPA Chairperson and former chief of the Congress party, hit the campaign trail yesterday in the poll-bound state of Karnataka. It is after a long gap of nearly two years that the veteran leader held a rally, after she was taken ill while addressing a rally in Varanasi ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in 2017. Though the former Congress President stayed away from canvassing in various states including Punjab, Uttrakhand, and Gujarat, she addressed a rally in Bijapur yesterday which signifies that winning in Karnataka is essential for the Congress party. Karnataka polls are just three days away (May 12) and it appears to be a do or die situation for Congress to retain its power in the state. Both the leading parties – the Congress and the BJP fielded their strongest campaigners in Karnataka on Tuesday.

Sonia Gandhi campaigned vigorously in Vijaypura and took potshots at PM Modi who campaigned back-to-back in Vijaypura, Koppal, and Bengaluru yesterday. Sonia praised the orating skills of PM Modi by saying he speaks like an actor but his oratory will not help in filling the empty stomachs of the poor. While making blistering attacks on Modi, she further accused the Prime Minister of distorting the historical facts and molding them for his political motives.

PM Modi earlier took a jibe at the Congress party and said that it is trying to use the divide and rule policy of the Britishers. He cautioned the people not to vote for the Congress party and hurled allegations of corruption against the state government led by Siddaramaiah to which Sonia replied while addressing her rally. She questioned the motto of Modi government “Sabka-Sath, Sabka-Vikas” and accused it of discriminating against Congress-ruled Karnataka state. She blamed the Modi government for not providing enough compensation to the states when several states suffered from droughts and considered this as rubbing salt into the wounds of farmers. Continuing this war of words, Gandhi talked about the schemes like the Anna Bhagya, Ksheera Bhagya, Indira Canteens and Krishi Yantradhare in her rally which have contributed in improving the life of people living in the state and promised to fight to solve the issues faced by farmers and the people.

Sonia is trying to counter the effect of Modi wave in Karnataka. Will she be able to cast a spell on the voters or they will be flown away by the Modi wave?